Screen grab from the Laging Handa government briefing last July 2, 2021.
The Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) has announced a debt relief or the suspension of debt payments amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
In the Laging Handa government briefing on July 2 (Friday), LWUA administrator Jeci Lapus said it was the least they could do to help Filipinos deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
“Ang sabi ng Department of Health ang pangunahing panlaban sa Covid ay paghugas ng kamay para ito’y walang transmission. Sa ngayon po nung pandemiya, ay ang tulong lang na kaya naming ibigay sa mga water district [ay] ang kanilang pagkakautang sa LWUA ay bibigyan po namin sila ng debt relief,” he said.
(The Department of Health said the primary shield against Covid-19 is hand washing to avoid transmission. Amid the pandemic, the only help we could offer to water districts is to give them provide debt relief.)
Lapus also said this was in observance of the “Bayanihan to Heal As One Act” mandated by the government.
The LWUA oversees 532 water districts that supply water to 20 million to 23 million houses, said Lapus. Hazel N. Camba